Watch: The New Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has been issuing a high number of significant decisions recently, many of which have come through its emergency docket, also known as the "shadow docket." This refers to cases where the justices rarely hear arguments and often issue unsigned orders that lack explanations of their decision-making process or the votes they cast. This trend appears to be unprecedented in the modern history of the court.

One recent example is the court's decision on August 31, which allowed construction to continue on a ballroom at the White House. This decision, made on the shadow docket, was likely influenced by the fact that the president often makes such requests, contributing to the high volume of cases handled on this less visible docket.

Another example is a decision on September 10 that blocked Missouri from using a redrawn congressional map, a map that had been crafted by the state’s Republican-controlled legislature at the request of President Donald Trump. This decision was made without an opinion, and there is no record of the justices' votes. The decision came just weeks before most states began sending out mail-in ballots for the upcoming election, a timing that has significant implications for the election process.

Despite the frequent presence of Trump in these shadow docket decisions, not all have pleased him. In a post on his social media site, Truth Social, Trump criticized the justices he had nominated, stating that they "are not the people I interviewed to serve." He went on to warn that the court will be remembered as having rendered some of the most destructive, hurtful, and damaging decisions in the country's history.

All decisions made by the Supreme Court since July have come through its shadow docket, a situation that will continue until the court starts its new term on October 5. This pattern of decisions suggests a shift in the court's operations and their impact on public policy.